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MightyMan Half Iron Distance Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Montauk, New York
United States
Event Power
60F / 16C
Precipitation
Total Time = 7h 20m 21s
Overall Rank = 206/215
Age Group = 45-49
Age Group Rank = 28/30
Pre-race routine:

I stayed out in Montauk so I got up at 4 am and ate a banana and had a plain bagel along with a cup of coffee. I checked the weather forecast and it was calling for clouds with sun later in the morning in the low 60's with chance of PM showers. Let me say they did not get it right.I checked my fantasy football teams to make sure I had my lineups set and let my wife sleep until 5 am. She got up and got ready and we packed up the van for the very short ride over to the transition area. We were like three minutes away. I got there at about 5:50 and found my bike rack. The space was very tight but found a space on the rack and started setting up transition. As I was doing this Mike found me and stopped by to wish me well and I did the same. I was very happy to see him there and was glad he found me. We talked for a few minutes and then he left. I went over got body marked and checked my bag in. After that I got my wetsuit on it was cold out so I did not mind putting it on so early. I pretty much hung out with my wife until the start of the race. I was so nervous as I usually am before the swim start I was trying to do anything to take my mind off the race.
Event warmup:

Not much warming up other then the walk between transition and the bag check in and back.
Swim
  • 49m 36s
  • 2112 yards
  • 02m 21s / 100 yards
Comments:

I started in wave 3 with all the other 40 year old men. There were 4 waves, 39 and under men first, all women second, 40 and older men third and cyldes and athenas fourth. I said my quick prayer like I normally do before I start always praying for the safety of all the athletes, volunteers and the spectators. I always ask for everyone to be safe and to finish. After that I waded in when called to do so and man the water was cold. It was also windy out so it was a bit choppy, not terrible but definitely noticeable. I hung back and to the right since I am a BOP swimmer and have not raced this distance before I wanted to make sure that I avoided contact as much as possible and just settle into a nice rythym. We got started and there was very little contact. There was a lot of room to swim especially with the waves spread out by 5 minutes. It took me a lot of time to really settle in. I was so nervous to start and with and the water being a little choppy I just could not get settled in right away. I finally got settled in and relaxed and found a good rythym. I was sighting a lot early on but I really didn't need to as I wound up swimming close enough with a couple of others in my AG so I was able to draft a little and stay on course. I finally reached the first turn around buoy and went right to the inside of it. I took it perfectly and then headed for the second bouy and did the same thing. By this time I actually felt good, I was relaxed and not having to work hard and I was making good progress. When I headed back I had to sight more as I was not really close to anyone but I did a pretty good job of staying on course. Outside of my feet being cold I felt I was doing well. I thought I might be getting a little tired toward the end but I think it is more of a mental thing with me. When I am swimming that long I feel like I am in the water for an eternity but after I get out it doesn't seem that long. I just kept my head down pushed forward and the end was in sight. I swam as far as I could before standing up and made my way out of the water and up to exit to the transition area. It took me several steps to get my balance together. I got my cap,goggles and wetsuit top off before making it into the transition area.
What would you do differently?:

Not too much, I think being more relaxed at the start would have helped me get off to a better start. I probably struggled a little to get settled and into a good rythym. Considering the conditions and me not being a good swimmer I think I did a good job.
Transition 1
  • 10m
Comments:

I spent a lot of time in T1 just getting my stuff together and getting dryed off. I also talked with my wife before she left as she had to take my son to his soccer game in queens. Long day for her. At least she knew I got out of the water and didn't drown. Also saw Sean there who we swim with at Wildwood and talked to him as well while in transition. They both wished me well as I finally got out of transition and it was great to see them both before heading on out.
What would you do differently?:

Well.......this is a loaded question. I have not really focused on being fast in transition this year being this is my first year. I usually focus on making sure I have everything I need instead without worrying about how long it takes me. I really need to work on this next season because I am giving away a lot of time. I just need to be more organized and to move faster.
Bike
  • 3h 46m 17s
  • 56 miles
  • 14.85 mile/hr
Comments:

Well this is pretty much where my entire race changed. My goal coming into the race was to do a 6:15. I even thought if everything went perfect for me I could possibly go sub 6 hours. That did not happen once the rain, wind and cold set in I knew I would never be able to achieve those goals so early on I decided that my goal would be to not crash on the bike and to just finish the race and not worry about time. There are several reasons for this first off I am not exepierenced enough in the rain to ride this course the way it can be ridden when it is dry. I have ridden most of the course so I was familiar with it but only in dry conditions. Second reason was that I crashed on the bike at my last sprint tri 6 weeks before and I didn't want that to happen again. I also did not want to put my wife through that again.

The first loop wasn't that bad with the rain. I was just trying to keep a comfortable pace and to try and pay attention to what I was doing and not be reckless or try and race anyone. I was able to go a little bit faster on the first loop and things were good all out to the lighthouse and to the first out and back to the airport. I think at this point it started raining harder, it was very windy like no matter which way you went you always felt like you were riding into a head wind. I had to hit the restroom at the end of this loop. It just got worse from that point on. I took it easy back up West Lake Dr. When I got to the Soundview out and back that road is a mess, very rough and with the water I was taking no chances there. I was cautions there. The same with Willis Pt Rd there are some downhill S curves there which you could easily misjudge so I was riding my brakes there. I wish I had done those out and backs on my training ride in hindsight but nothing I could do about it then. I made it back to the turn around and headed back out for loop two in decent shape. I did a good job on the all the climbs and was careful on all the descents.

Heading out for loop 2 the weather just got worse. I was just thinking man this is going to be a long and miserable ride. By the time I got to West Lake Dr. to head towards the lighthouse I was so angry and fustrated it was my lowest point of the race. I was cursing out the weather forecasters, I was angry that every Tri I did this season either it rained before or during the race or the race was under the threat of rain. I was like why does it have to happen today? I think that little outburst just got me fired up. I was thinking none of the guys I train with would complain about this. None of the Asphalt Junkies (my BT mentoring group) would complain about this. They would all put their heads down, dig deep and keep going. That is exactly what I did. The voice inside me said to stop whining and keep pedaling. We are going to finish this race. I mean I was talking to myself out loud while I was riding along. I'll be brutally honest it was not any fun and I could not have been more miserable about it but I never once asked myself why am I doing this? I just keep moving I finally got to the lighthouse and had to use the bathroom there. It was a good move it got me warmed up a little bit. The automatic hand dryers were my saving grace. They got my hands warmed up a bit. I was getting so cold I could not shift gears and I was having a hard time keeing my grip on the hoods. I stayed on the hoods the whole race. No aero today I just did not want to risk it. I made it to the airport and I used the bathroom at the end of the out back on East Lake Dr. Again the hand dryer was awesome and getting out of the cold helped. I probably lost 20 minutes with these stops but I think without them I may not have finished the race. I got back going and just chipped away at the miles. I was so cold towards the end I though I was getting hypothermia. Thank God I bought the arm warmers the day before it was the best $30 I invested all season. I finally made my last climb on West Lake Dr. and carefully took the last decent praying all the way down that I would not have a mishap. I finally made it back to the transition area and I could not have been happier to get off the bike and start running. I was very concerned I would be too cold to run but that turned out not to be the case
What would you do differently?:

I would have brought gloves and my windbreaker that would have kept me warmer and drier. Lesson learned here, don't ever trust any forecast when it comes to Montauk bring everything with you. I had the windbreaker at the Motel. As far as the bike goes I wouldn't change much I may have been overly cautious but it did give me the chance to get to the run and finish
Transition 2
  • 10m 20s
Comments:

I suck at transitions no secret here but someone mounted there bike in my spot so I had to move their bike which really pissed me off. I had to waste a lot of time because of that. My hand were so cold I could not unbuckle my helmet or tie my running shoes. It took time to do that.
What would you do differently?:

Not much, what can you do when someone puts their bike where it doesn't belong? or when your hands are so cold they are useless?
Run
  • 2h 24m 10s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 11m 01s  min/mile
Comments:

Once I got it together in transition I got out and stopped at the port a potty and lost 5 minutes there but I had to go. By the time I got started the rain stops the wind dies down and the sun comes out and I am like I can't believe it. Well I got to running and felt pretty good. I probably went out too fast but I did settle in and I was running well. I took murder hill with no problem on the first loop and took the other hills just fine. I caught up with another guy as we hit the turn around to come back and they had run out of gels at the aid station so I offered him the one I had and he thanked me for it. His name was Keith and he was on his second loop so we just talked all the way back to the transition. It was great to have the company and it helped both of us plus it just took my mind off having to do this again. We made it back and Keith went off to finish and I headed out to do loop number 2.

I started slowing down a bit on the second loop. I was running solo and just thinking about the Junkies and all the war stories and everything that those guys have been through and I am just thinking keep moving and finish. Don't stop running you can do this. At this point I'm at mile 7 and I'm just starting to embrace the pain. I'm thinking about all the time and effort I've put in to train for this and I know I am going to finish. I get to murder hill and I just fast walk it. It is the only time I walked for the entire run. I just felt my HR getting up there and decided it would be smarter to walk so that is what I did. Once I got up it I am back to running. Then on the one short out and back I meet another guy named Glenn and we start talking and running together and he is telling me some great stories and we make it to the out and back and start to head back. And again we help each other out and just talk all the way back and as we hit mile 12 we really start pushing the pace and as we get near Glenn takes off a little faster and I just hang back just enough so he can get his finish and he does and it is great and then I just follow in with the pedal down and break the tape and it is just an amazing and awesome feeling. Mission accomplished
What would you do differently?:

Not much I think I could have ran a little faster but I did not want to chance running out of gas and then having to walk.
Post race
Warm down:

Got my bag from check in, not many left at that time. Picked up and packed up my stuff and got my bike. Hung out and talked with Sean for a little bit as I was surprised he was still there but it was nice to talk with him for a while.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

The weather was the thing that limited me the most. I won't make any excuses though I did as best as I could under the circumstances. I did everything I could do in my control to make sure I finished.

Event comments:

Even though this race did not turn out the way I was hoping it would I don't think I would change anything about it. It was an amazing exerience for my first HIM. When I set out to do triathlons 11 months ago I didn't know anything and now I have a 70.3 finish in the books. I learned many valuable lessons from this race and about myself which is going to just make me a better triathlete and a better person.

Event Power does a great job with their events. The volunteers yesterday were awesome and I really felt bad for them as they had to endure the miserable weather too. At least we were racing. A big thanks to all the volunteers and the spectators out there yesterday in those conditions.

I also wanted to say thank you to the members of my mentoring group the Asphalt Junkies. You guys are awesome! I don't think I would have come this far this year without all your help and suppport.

I also have to say thank you to all the local LI triathletes some fellow BT'ers and others from twinforks multisports who I have been fortunate enough to be able to meet and train with this season. They have taken me under their wing and without them I don't think I would have been able to accomplish what I have this year. Especially Dream Chaser, Bobby thank you just doesn't seem like it is enough to say. You've been an awesome mentor and I am thankful and grateful for all your guidance and support.

Last but not least I have to say thank you to my wife for letting me do this stuff this year. I know she thought I was crazy when I started but I think she really came around when she saw how much doing this stuff means to me. I can't thank her enough for believing in me.




Last updated: 2012-01-01 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:49:36 | 2112 yards | 02m 21s / 100yards
Age Group: 189/30
Overall: 216/215
Performance: Good
Suit: DeSoto T1
Course: Out and back course. Two swim courses in Fort pond. To the left was the olympic course and to the right was the HIM course. Swim out to first bouy make a left swim a short distance to the next bouy turn right and meet in the middle with all olympic and HIM athletes heading back to shore and the swim exit.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Below average Remainder: Good
Breathing: Average Drafting: Average
Waves: Average Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 10:00
Performance: Bad
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
03:46:17 | 56 miles | 14.85 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/30
Overall: 197/215
Performance: Below average
Wind: Headwind with gusts
Course: The course is several out and backs. The main one is from Edgemere St. to West Lake Dr. then to RT27 out to the Montauk Point lighthouse. Off the main course there are 3 other out and backs. One past the airport on East Lake Dr., one on Soundview Dr. and one on Willis Pt. Rd.
Road: Smooth Wet Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Average Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 10:20
Overall: Bad
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike Bad
Shoe and helmet removal Bad
Running
02:24:10 | 13.1 miles | 11m 01s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/30
Overall: 185/215
Performance: Average
Course: Two loops both out and backs with the notorious steep hill known as Murder Hill
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 5

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2012-10-01 9:52 PM

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Expert
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Subject: MightyMan Half Iron Distance Triathlon


2012-10-02 10:10 AM
in reply to: #4436158

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Elite
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Subject: RE: MightyMan Half Iron Distance Triathlon
Tony: nice way to finish....sending a PM
2012-10-02 10:15 AM
in reply to: #4436158

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Subject: RE: MightyMan Half Iron Distance Triathlon
Tony, CONGRATULATIONS on 70.3!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This was a fantastic report.  Thank you for taking the time to post.  I admire you for racing/racing in the rain.  And this Junkie would have been complaining too!!!!!  lol  That was a GREAT swim, congratulations!!!!!
2012-10-02 11:27 AM
in reply to: #4436731

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Subject: RE: MightyMan Half Iron Distance Triathlon
Haha I second Karl... My confession: heck yes I would have been complaining!!! :D I have been cold and wet on a bike (not during a race though) so I know how it feels!! Even after a warm shower I was cold. Anyway, so yes those were brutal conditions you were dealing with!! But, it sounds like you didn't let that get you down and followed it up with a solid run! With all the rain you took in this year, maybe that means next year you'll get nothing but sun!!
2012-10-02 2:23 PM
in reply to: #4436158

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Long Island, NY
Subject: RE: MightyMan Half Iron Distance Triathlon

Wow 11 months and you did a HIM - it took me 4 years! It was a hell of a day and we earned the half ironman title that day.

I'm assuming I'll see you next year? Wink

2012-10-02 2:26 PM
in reply to: #4436158

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Subject: RE: MightyMan Half Iron Distance Triathlon
CONGRATULATIONS, Tony, on finishing a VERY tough Half Ironman!! Way to bring tears to my eyes. I'm SO happy for you!! I totally understand your anger at the weather and the fact that you didn't quit shows what you're made of. I laughed about you talking out loud to yourself. I did that in one very cold race and ended up with a DNF due to hypothermia. You powered through and that's uber impressive! Sweet of you to pray for everyone at the start of the swim. I love that you threw your finish time expectation out the window on the bike and decided to finish, REGARDLESS! I'm glad you had an opportunity to chat with a couple folks on the run and that you provided a boost to eachother. I love your appreciation of your wife.
Despite your first tri season weather conditions and your fall that most people would've quit, you should be proud of how much you achieved.

I'm glad you signed into the Asphalt Junkie group because you're one of the most encouraging people I've ever met. Keep up the good work, Tony! You're a HALF IRONMAN!!!


2012-10-02 2:48 PM
in reply to: #4437389

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Subject: RE: MightyMan Half Iron Distance Triathlon
acv - 2012-10-02 3:23 PM

Wow 11 months and you did a HIM - it took me 4 years! It was a hell of a day and we earned the half ironman title that day.

I'm assuming I'll see you next year? Wink

I would love to come back and do this race again next year but I am doing IMWI 2013 and unfortunately it will be too close to do the IM and then the HIM a few weeks later. I know I'm crazy but I will be back for 2014. I love the course at Montauk and Mighty Man is a great race. I agree we definitely earned it.

2012-10-02 2:53 PM
in reply to: #4436158

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NH
Subject: RE: MightyMan Half Iron Distance Triathlon

Wow, that was quite a race.  And thanks for such a great report - I feel like I ran it beside you.  You really showed some mettle out there.  This race is one you will always look back on as a marker in your journey.  So many obstacles and so many awesome decisions and a seriously HTFU attitude.

There was NEVER a doubt in any of our minds that you'd do the junkies proud.  GREAT job. 

2012-10-02 7:08 PM
in reply to: #4436158

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Subject: RE: MightyMan Half Iron Distance Triathlon
Nice job, Tony!  It's amazing what you have accomplished in such a short time doing triathlons.  I can't wait to see what you do in the IM!
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